Show ContentsWaddingham History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

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Waddingham Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Etymology of Waddingham

What does the name Waddingham mean?

The name Waddingham reached English shores for the first time with the ancestors of the Waddingham family as they migrated following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Waddingham family lived in Lincolnshire at Wadingham, a parish, in the union of Caistor, E. division of the wapentake of Manley, parts of Lindsey. 1

Early Origins of the Waddingham family

The surname Waddingham was first found in Lincolnshire where Gocelin Fitz Lambert was granted the lands of Wadingham by the Bishop of Bayeux. 2

Early rolls show the prominence of the name in early times: Nicholas de Wadingham was recorded c. 1160; Alan de Wadingeham was listed in the Assize Rolls for Lancashire in 1218; and Nicholas de Wadingham was recorded in 1264. 3

Early History of the Waddingham family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Waddingham research. Another 80 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1388, 1397, 1411, 1438, 1522, 1523, 1529, 1532, 1534, 1541, 1577 and 1609 are included under the topic Early Waddingham History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Waddingham Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, Norman French and other languages became incorporated into English throughout the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Waddingham include Waddingham, Wadingham, Wadham and others.

Early Notables of the Waddingham family

Nicholas Wadham (1532-1609), founder of Wadham College, Oxford, born in 1532, the only surviving son of John Wadham (d. 1577), and his wife Joan, daughter and coheir of John Tregarthin of Cornwall. The family originally came and took its name from Wadham or Wadeham in the parish of Knowstone, North Devonshire, where it was settled in the reign of Edward I. Thence it migrated to Egge or Edge, near Seaton in the same county. Edge was the seat of John Wadham (d. 1411), who was appointed a judge of the common pleas in or about 1388. He seems...
Another 97 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Waddingham Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Waddingham migration to the United States +

In England at this time, the uncertainty of the political and religious environment of the time caused many families to board ships for distant British colonies in the hopes of finding land and opportunity, and escaping persecution. The voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, though, and many arrived in North America sick, starved, and destitute. Those who did make it, however, were greeted with greater opportunities and freedoms that they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Early immigration records have shown some of the first Waddinghams to arrive on North American shores:

Waddingham Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Phillip Waddingham, who settled in Virginia in 1654

Waddingham migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Waddingham Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Miss Anna Maria Waddingham, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Matoaka" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 26th September 1859 4
  • Mr. Charles Waddingham, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Matoaka" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 26th September 1859 4
  • Mr. Charles Waddingham, Jr., British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Matoaka" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 26th September 1859 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Waddingham (post 1700) +

  • Gladys Waddingham (1900-1997), née Wolf, American Spanish teacher at Inglewood High School in Inglewood, California, for 45 years, was the author of many books
  • Hannah Waddingham (b. 1974), English Primetime Emmy Award winning actress and singer, best known for playing Rebecca Welton in the comedy series Ted Lasso (2020-2023)
  • John Seaton Waddingham (b. 1934), New Zealand former cricketer who played five first-class matches for Auckland between 1953 and 1960
  • Thomas Waddingham (b. 2005), Australian footballer who plays as a striker for A-League Men’s club Brisbane Roar
  • Cindy Joy Waddingham (b. 1980), Australian television and film actress, best known for her role as Sarah in the Australian black comedy series, Wilfred (2007)
  1. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  2. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  3. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  4. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html

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